Melanotaenia mubiensis

Melanotaenia mubiensis - photo© Gerald Allen

Allen, 1996
Mubi Rainbowfish

Species Summary
Melanotaenia mubiensis are blue-green on the upper half of head and back, frequently with golden sheen anteriorly, lower side whitish. Dark blue midlateral band extending from rear edge of eye to base of caudal fin, about one scale row wide anteriorly and two scales wide on caudal peduncle. 6~7 pale orange stripes between each horizontal scale row on upper half of body. Yellowish stripe, one scale wide, immediately below dark midlateral band, from pectoral fin base to level of middle anal rays. Pupil sized orange spot on upper part of operculum. Iris of eye golden-yellow. First dorsal fin pale green or bluish. Second dorsal and anal fins dusky blackish, except bluish basally. Caudal fin bluish to translucent, upper and lower edge narrowly dusky. Pelvis fins translucent with dusky anterior edge. Pectoral fins mainly translucent. Female colouration generally less intense and all fins mainly translucent or bluish. Males are generally deeper bodied and have more elongated, somewhat pointed shape posteriorly on the soft dorsal and anal fin rays.

Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia mubiensis was collected in Papua New Guinea from a relatively small section of the middle Kikori drainage system, spanning a distance of approximately 20 km. All sites were tributaries of the Mubi River, one of the primary mountain tributaries of the Kikori, and the outlet for Lake Kutubu, which lies approximately 70 km farther upstream from the collecting sites.

Kikori River Tributary - photo© Bruce Hansen

Remarks
This species is named mubiensis with reference to the general locality where the type specimens were collected. Currently no live specimens have been collected for the aquarium hobby.

Literature
Allen, G. R. (1996). Two new species of rainbowfishes (Melanotaenia: Melanotaeniidae), from the Kikori River system, Papua New Guinea. Revue française d'Aquariologie 23 (1-2): 9-16.